More second chance love instead of "frenemies to lovers". Story is told in one POV but jumps between two different timelines- senior year in 2003 and the night of their 20 year high school reunion 2023. You've Got Mail or Hilary Duff Cinderella vibes in regards to the high school "friendship" and the AIM friendship. The story is very cute and I enjoyed the back and forth jump in the timeline to tell the story. I preferred the relationship in 2003- you could feel the emotion between the characters. That was sadly lost when they reconnected in 2023.

Characters:
Rachel Dang - Chinese Cambodian American, works in the entertainment industry and lives with high school friend and tv actor Natalie Huang. Voted in high school to be "The Most Likely to Succeed" only to attend the reunion after being laid off.

Danny Phan - smart but struggling in school. Rachel tutored him. 20 years later he's a very accomplished and well known motivational coach

Millennial References:
-Dashboard Confessional
-burned CDs
-AIM
-Smallville
-Keanu Reaves

Quotes:
“Silence is the worst answer after you poured your heart out”

“The problem with appearing to do well on my own was that I attracted people who wanted something from me. It’d be nice to get help without having to ask for it everytime”

Audiobook:
Narrated by Natalie Naudual. Loved the attitude she brought to the characters. Well done!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperAudio Adult for this advanced audiobook in exchange for a review.

The Girl Most Likely To gives the same rom-com movie vibes as Sisters or Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and I had such a fun time reading this book! Rachel is currently in the midst of a mid-life crisis, which makes it the perfect time to head to her 20th high school reunion. While there she decides that the best way to make it through the night is by pretending that she wasn't just laid off and is still the ultra-successful type A personality she was in high school. During the reunion, she sees her former friend Danny for the first time since school. The pair ended on bad terms which always stung to Rachel, could 20 years later she find a chance at closure or something more with Danny?...

There's lots of high-jinks in this and it was fun seeing the way that chaos ensued for the pair during the night of the reunion. I enjoyed seeing the dual timeline of Rachel and Danny's friendship in high school develop until the breakdown of their friendship at graduation.

Thank you NetGalley & Avon for an ARC of The Girl Most Likely To and to Harper Audio for the ALC!

Wonderfully relatable for any former gifted kid, "The Girl Most Likely To" is an uplifting story about second chances, both in life and in love. I related an incredible amount to the main character, which I'm sure plays a part in how much I enjoyed the book.

I came for the Natalie Naudus narration but I stayed for the former gifted kid burnout realism. In all honesty, this is such a cute romance that transports readers to and from 2003 and modern day and follows the friendship, break-up, and eventual second chance romance between Rachel and Danny. It is such an honest portrayal of growing-up, failing, and moving forward that is hopeful while being feet kickingly cute. A solid romance read for anyone feeling lost in adulthood or who likes a good second chance romance.

"If running was supposedly good for me, why did I feel like a crumpled paper straw?"

This was really good! I've only read one other Julie Tieu novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! I loved that we got flashbacks to Danny and Rachel's high school years, and their reuniting was both romantic and funny, with a good mix of somber as they recounted recently life events. Personally, I loved the cactus scenes (iykyk) because omg, the following 'help' scene? 😂 There was minimal spicy scenes, but it was well written, and there was a wonderful epilogue. The narrator did a nice job, and I binged it in one day.

The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu is a story about Rachel Dang who loses her job and is unsure of what to do with herself for the first time in her life. Voted most likely to succeed in highschool she has been on a successful career track ever since. That is until days before her high school reunion when she loses her prestigious job of ten years.
The story has dual timelines and if you listen to it on audiobook like I did, also dual narrations. The book alternates between present day and both Rachel and Danny thinking back to messaging back and forth on aim in high school.
I liked the inclusion of the epilogue and how it wrapped up all the lose ends. I like that it included a surprise or two as well.
I liked the dual narration for this book. I think both narrators did an excellent job portraying their character. If you're a fan of romantic comedies with a dash of spice then this book is for you!
Thank you to Julie Tieu and Harper Audio Adult for sharing your book with NetGalley. I received an advanced audiobook copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and reviews.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced listener copy of #TheGirlMostLikelyTo! Happy release week!

GENRE
• Standalone
• Adult
• Contemporary romance

SUMMARY
Twenty years ago, Rachel Dang was voted the “Most Likely to Succeed” of her high school graduating class. Now, at 38, she’s been laid off from her illustrious Hollywood job and is coming to terms with the fact that the career she shaped her life around valued her very little. With her high school reunion just around the corner, uncertainty plagues her. She’ll have to mingle her successful former classmates and come face-to-face with her ex-friend, Danny, whom she hasn’t seen since their relationship imploded at the end of senior year. It doesn’t help that Danny, despite not excelling in high school, is thriving. Can they work through their past and present hurts and seize this second chance?

REVIEW
This has the classic feel of a great contemporary romcom. The prose is engaging and easily-digestible. The Hollywood setting is novel and engaging. The characters are relatable and lovable despite—or perhaps because of—their insecurities. The story is that nostalgic mix of grounded emotion and dramatic-verging-on-ridiculous action. The dual timelines blend seamlessly together, adding context about the characters’ pasts without bogging down the plot with extraneous details. If second-chance romances are your thing—and maybe even if they aren’t—I recommend picking this one up!
4/5

This was such a good read. I don’t normally like miscommunication, but the way this author wrote it was perfect. Definitely brings back some memories.

Thank you to HarperAudio for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The Girl Most Likely To releases February 18, 2025

2.75

Twenty years ago, Rachel and Danny met for the first time in person (or so they thought), after four years of an online friendship that was cultivated through an AOL chat room.
Now, both 38-years-old, they are brought back into each other’s orbit courtesy of their high school reunion.

With a recent layoff, Rachel’s fun-employment isn’t looking too impressive next to her winning superlative of “most likely to succeed.” In fact, high school was the last place where Rachel even felt accomplished.

Rachel was a relatable character in the sense that it’s second nature to want to compare yourself and your achievements to that of your peers.
I know for myself at the age of 27, I have those same intrusive thoughts of feeling like I’m behind in life, so I can only imagine what it would be like to start over and how much more amplified those feelings would be ten years from now at the stage where Rachel was.

Though this is marketed as a second chance romance, I wouldn’t fully view it that way since it predominantly read like women’s fiction and was more so about reconciling a fractured friendship; anything more than that was unconvincing, especially with all of the snark and miscommunication that took place in the first two-thirds.

I was a bit caught off guard with the fact that most of their reunion was set outside of the high school, and in hindsight, the added drama of the car accident and cactus needles weren’t necessary.

While I liked the nostalgia that the AIM chats brought to the story, I think the pacing could’ve been better.

3.5 ⭐️

This was a fun read, especially if you grew up using AIM and remember the days before cell phones. The book focuses on Rachel and Danny as they reconnect at their 20th high school reunion.

I enjoyed the sometimes silly events that led to forced proximity, but I think it there needed to be more sparks between the two main characters in order for their reconnection to feel satisfying. I enjoyed listening to the book and thought the narrator did a fantastic job, but I wasn’t as invested in the romance as I wanted to be.

If you’re looking for a fun romance read and graduated from high school in the early 200s, this book will check the boxes for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

I love this author and narrator so I went into this with high hopes and was not let down. The narrator Natalie Naudus does the voices so well for each person, she has become a comfort narrator for me. And Julie Tieu wrote perfect second chance/ childhood friends to lovers romance. I loved that the characters were older and knew what they were looking for. When Rachel and Danny reconnected and this pick up pretty easily after so long I knew we were in for something good. Also, I really liked how most of the book took place over the course of a day, that makes me feel like I’m reading/listen at the same pace that time is passing in the book.

I love the book because I feel related to it, and it is giving me high hopes. Julie did an amazing job.

A second chance for two former friends who lost touch after their friendship was ruined by miscommunication and are reunited at the high school reunion. Now Rachel and Danny team up to secure a gift to the school committee while also confronting their past mistakes. It was a great read with lots of chemistry between the MCs.

Julie Tieu’s The Girl Most Likely To is an engaging and heartfelt second-chance romance that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Helen, a former high school overachiever who returns to her small town for a wedding, only to find herself entangled with her old classmate and former crush, Nathan. What unfolds is a charming and emotional journey of self-discovery, love, and the complexities of revisiting the past.

What made the audiobook version particularly special was the narration. The inclusion of Cambodian language and cultural elements added authenticity and depth to the characters, making the listening experience even more immersive. The narrator did a fantastic job capturing the emotions, humor, and nuances of Helen’s story, making it easy to connect with her struggles and triumphs.

The novel beautifully balances romance with themes of family expectations, identity, and personal growth. Helen’s journey felt relatable, and her dynamic with Nathan had just the right amount of tension and warmth to keep me invested. Tieu’s writing is witty, heartfelt, and engaging, making this audiobook a standout for fans of contemporary romance.

Overall, The Girl Most Likely To is a delightful listen that blends humor, romance, and cultural depth seamlessly. If you’re looking for a charming second-chance love story with rich storytelling and a fantastic narration, I highly recommend giving this audiobook a try!

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
The Girl Most Likely To was a second chance romance between high school best friends who reconnect at the reunion. I really liked the split timeline- I think it was easy to follow in this book. I also liked the chemistry between the main characters and how they kind of picked up where they left off. The banter was excellent and the secondary characters were well fleshed out. The pacing was a little weird, but I did enjoy this one!
3.75⭐️

Rachel Dang was always a hard-working, dedicated student. Voted most-likely to succeed, Class of 2003, she was organized, dedicated to her planner, and laser focused on earning additional accolades for her college application. So when a new student arrived and needed tutoring, she was committed to making sure he was successful.

But dedication to school doesn't leave a lot of time for friends. Her family runs two businesses and between business and the hard focus on work, Rachel doesn't have anyone to talk to. So when she sends a message out in an AIM chat room and a student in her grade replies, she immediately warms to the anonymity of her online identity and finds herself spilling all of her deepest feelings in a place where she can be anyone.

Fast forward 20 years, Rachel has powered her way through life, climbing ranks in her career by always putting her work first. Which has gone well for her until the company she dedicated her life to gets purchased (thanks, in part, to a project she worked on) and lays off most of its staff. Just in time for her 20th high school reunion.

The upside? That friend from high school, he's hoping she'll be there.

Most of this story takes place over one night, as she tries and fails (a lot) to present the high-achieving image of success she was in high school, while feeling everything but. It's fun, and ridiculous, at times, but the yearning and uncertainty, the no-pressure but secretly I love you, it's all there. It's fun and ridiculous and exactly the kind of high school reunion you wish yours was.

This is a fun second-chance romance filled with miscommunication and everything-that-could-go-wrong-does. You'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time!

Rating this a 3.25/5. I love the storyline and the concept, but the characters and the story lacked focus. There were a lot of outer obstacles, when what I wanted was more inner reflection and personal growth. I think the message was great, the lessons were right on, but if we're going to have a ton of miscommunication, the inner world needs to reflect why that is happening more. The friend relationships (while entertaining) were strange and didn't add to the story. Overall, I just wanted more from Rachel. In the beginning I was rooting for her, but she experienced the same feelings over and over again and it got a little old.

If you want a light-hearted entertaining, low-stakes read, this is the book for you.

Cute story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for this review. I enjoyed the back and forth in the time periods.

This is the first book I've read by Julie Tieu, but it certainly will not be the last. Rachel was a great, complex character who I related to and rooted for. And Danny was one of my favorite male leads I've read in a while.

I was intrigued by the high school reunion aspect but also unsure how I'd like it. I'm definitely not a school reunion person. But Tieu did such an excellent job building the tension between high school Rachel and Danny (the AIM messages!!) that I couldn't wait to see what happened at the reunion. While reading I felt like I was watching a TV show - it was so descriptive and compelling.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was that there wasn't a third act break-up, which would have felt off with this book. Instead, we get more of a third act "let's cool down."

The audiobook narrator did a great job.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

This was an adorable "second chance" rom-com. I am not sure how I haven't read a Julie Tieu book till now...it looks like I have been missing out on a great author. Danny and Rachel are a beautiful couple and I loved watching their love blossom in this book.

As far as the audiobook goes, I thought Natalie Naudus did a really good job with the narration. She was the perfect person to narrate this audiobook!

If you like high school romance movies or movies where the character goes back to high school like Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, I definitely believe you will swoon over this book! I can't wait to see what Julie Tieu writes next!

4.25 stars! Okay, so I loved this book! I love, love, love the trope where one night can change everything and it isn’t what you thought it would be. I the nostalgia vibes and that sometimes life DOES have to restart in your 30s and 40s and it is okay, you can bounce back and thrive are huge drivers in the book for me. Honestly, this book felt like stepping into your actual high school reunion. For the romance, I love this 2nd chance and normally they are not for me, but this had me giddy and so excited to see them wind up together. The romance was perfect and you root for them to get together.

The audio book is amazing if you like audiobooks and the cadence of the narrator is absolutely perfect as is her timber. I listen on 1.75-2X speed and able to keep up easily.